The Finance Ministry is setting up a committee to decide what the state should do with the 57 bags of German currency from the time of the 1941-44 occupation during World War II that it has in the Treasury.

In the context of seeking any relevant documents regarding the requirement of war damages from Germany, the ministry has decided to create a six-member committee to propose what should happen with the 14,334,000 Deutsche marks left over from the occupation and now held by the Bank of Greece.

The committee’s task concerns “the inspection of the 57 bags and the submission of a proposal as to whether there remain any reasons for their further retention, their possible use for other purposes or their destruction, given that their value today can only be historic,” the decision by Finance Minister Filippos Sachinidis reads.

Sources say that the Bank of Greece had informed the ministry of the German money about a year ago, but given that it is only of historic value, the ministry had then decided against taking any action. However, as a result of the war reparations debate that is currently raging, Sachinidis has now decided to see what can be done with it.